SGH-105 heavy shotgun
The SGH-105 Automatic Combat Shotgun is a revolver-type automatic shotgun in use by the Free Planets Defense Force for special situations where a heavier infantry shotgun is required. Significantly larger and heavier than its service cousin, the SGL-104 light shotgun, the SGH-105 is designed as a primary weapon for situations requiring heavier short-range firepower. For that reason, an automatic shotgun design was chosen to allow for a high rate of fire should a single round prove insufficient to disable or kill a target. As a lower-priority acquisition, the SGH-105 was phased into service more slowly than the SGL-104, as it was designed as a special-purpose weapon rather than general-purpose equipment like its lighter sibling. It serves as a replacement for the more general-purpose ARH-101 assault rifle, specializing in close-range combat with secondary abilities to engage targets at range. It is also capable of being used as a crowd-control weapon, since unlike the smaller SGL-104, the drum magazine can be loaded with a mix of lethal and non-lethal ammunition and oriented at will for greater situational flexibility. History Satisfied with the work of Nasha Personal Defense Systems in the development of the SGL-104, the Defense Force tendered a contract to design a heavier combat shotgun for intense urban combat as well as other operations where the short-range flexibility of a shotgun would be preferred over a longer-range rifle. The stipulations were that the shotgun should be capable of automatic fire, be capable of ammunition-switching, and weight no more than five kilograms to keep it relatively compact for close-quarter battles. Rather than modify an existing design as they had with the SGL-104, developing it from the civilian CSG-50, Nasha started work on a new design. The finished design bears external resemblances to the proposed Pancor Jackhammer automatic shotgun developed in the 21st century, and in many ways is similar due to the simplicity of shotgun design and action. Caliber was increased to 12-gauge from the SGL-104's 20-gauge, to allow a larger and more diverse assortment of munitions to be used, and the drum was designed to take 15 rounds, although larger drums are available. Submitted for testing, the weapon was quickly approved and production began in low numbers. It was not until the ground battles of the Chousin War that the weapon was ramped up to high-rate production, as it proved particularly effective against Juraian warriors, who were strong enough to shrug off attacks from the 20-gauge rounds of the SGL-104. Combined with new "super-charged" rounds, the weapon proved an invaluable part of the Alliance arsenal during the war, and became a respected adversary among the Alliance's Juraian foes. Design The barrel design is free-floating and spring-mounted, such that when fired, the barrel is pushed forward which releases the chamber seal. It is pushed back into position by the spring mounting, and this force can be used to cycle the feed drum to the next round through the drum operating rod, although normally an electric motor is used to allow the weapon to cycle its ammo drum independently. Upon return to its original position, the barrel recreates a tight seal with the drum, which also functions as the firing chamber. Spent cases are not ejected through normal operation and remain in the drum, but can be ejected by a special motor mounted in the drum itself if desired. Through its fire-control computer, the weapon can be set for semi-automatic or fully automatic fire. A manual safety is also included that can select between modes; the computer physically triggers this switch remotely when operated via suit interface. Low-power non-lethal rounds may lack sufficient force to actuate the reloading mechanism, but in this case electric motors can cycle the drum and move the barrel into position independently of any recoil energy. An interesting secondary feature of the gun is actually a feature of its magazine. Because the ammunition drum serves as the firing chamber and houses the firing mechanism, it is capable of firing loaded shells independently of the barrel, resulting in reduced accuracy but serving as a useful emergency weapon. It can also be rigged as a rudimentary landmine, programmed to fire all of its loaded cartridges upward if connected to a pressure, motion, or heat sensor. Servicing and Durability Although more complicated than its smaller counterpart, the SGH-105 is still a relatively simple weapon. It is predominantly composed of composites with a metal frame, making it resistant to corrosion and other environmental damage yet still physically durable. Because so much of the weapon's components are housed in the ammunition drum, most technical issues can be solved through a quick magazine change, swapping in a fresh set of components or clearing a jammed or misfired round. Role The SGH-105 is designed for intense close-quarters combat against opponents wearing heavy body armor, or for situations in which a variety of lethal and non-lethal situations are expected. Because it is designed as a replacement for the ARH-101 in situations calling for its use, it is generally not particularly widespread in deployment, being assigned or requisitioned only for specific scenarios. The SGH-105 is generally assigned when prolonged urban combat is expected, or when gearing up for intentional boarding operations where close-quarters combat is expected to be the exclusive method of engagement. It is less-frequently used as a crowd-control device due to its rather menacing appearance and the fact that it is considered overkill for most non-lethal purposes, where the lighter 20-gauge shells in the SGL-104 are more than adequate. Although capable of firing solid slugs to a range of more than 800 meters with accuracy, it is usually paired with a lighter rifle or carbine. Category:Military Equipment Category:New Free Planets Alliance Category:Free Planets Star Fleet Category:Free Planets Ground Force Category:Free Planets Marine Corps